WeScope takes home BraunPrize 2021

On Thursday 18 November, the IDE students behind the WeScope project received some fantastic news – their iteration of NWO-INSPiRED’s EduScope had won a BraunPrize 2021!

For this year’s competition, up-and-coming designers and inventors were presented with the theme ‘Shape Tomorrow’. This, of course, was fitting for our team of aspiring Delft Designers, as that’s exactly what they hope to accomplish with the WeScope.

In total, eight student projects and two projects from young creatives received a BraunPrize 2021 award. To re-watch the digital award ceremony, click here.

The WeScope Team

The device was developed by IDE Integrated Product Design MSc students Patrick Busser, Julia de Jong, Joep van Stijn, Renzo Vonk, Natalie Wochner, and Tian Yuan. They worked on the project during their time in the Advanced Embodiment Design (AED) course. Along the way – while researching, developing, and prototyping the device - they received guidance and support from IDE’s Associate Professor JC Diehl and industrial design coach Wim Wijdeveld.

About the WeScope

Reliable and high-quality microscopes are essential for medical education. However, in Sub-Saharan African universities, students do not have access to these kinds of diagnostic devices. They are either too expensive for the local universities to buy, or they cannot be easily repaired and/or maintained. And this is where the WeScope comes in. The WeScope is an open-source, low-cost digital microscope designed specifically to help train medical students in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Most African medical professionals have limited to no access to microscopy during their studies. With the WeScope we aim to introduce an affordable digital microscope that can be produced and maintained in Sub-Saharan Africa. And thus, creating access to microscopy, as well as preparing students for the digital revolution that is set to happen in the healthcare sector.
TU Delft Associate Professor JC Diehl

To learn more about the WeScope and how it works, click here.

The NWO-INSPiRED Project

The NWO-INSPiRED project is a collaboration between Leiden University Medical Center, Delft University of Technology, University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, and CERMEL to develop new diagnostic devices for malaria, schistosomiasis, and hookworm.

The WeScope is a part of the NWO-INSPiRED project, and is an iteration of the Eduscope. The Eduscope is the overarching name for the device and the one that IDE researchers use. However, to make it their own, when a new student team works on developing an iteration of the Eduscope, they give their version a unique name.

Vote for WeScope

From 19 November to 9 December, the public can vote for their favourite BraunPrize 2021 winner via Braun’s Instagram page. Want to show your support for WeScope? Then click here to vote.